PAULA PASCHE: Time for Detroit Lions' Ndamukong Suh to step up as leader

ALLEN PARK -- It's time for Ndamukong Suh, the Lions defensive tackle, to step up as a defensive leader.

Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams aged out of their positions on the Detroit Lions defensive line.

It's impossible to calculate what the absence of these two veterans means to the Lions defense.

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Neither was afraid to speak out. Both worked hard and expected the young guys to follow. Vanden Bosch was known for chasing a play 30 yards down the field during a routine practice drill. The kids noticed. Everyone noticed.

Vanden Bosch at age 34 was released in February. Corey Williams, who is 32, was a free agent and not re-signed by the Lions or any other team.

It's not that there's a complete leadership void on the defense.

Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch has stepped up the last two seasons and will likely take on more responsibility.

When safety Louis Delmas is healthy and playing, his leadership is unquestioned. He fires up everyone around him. He's a natural leader and he's loud.

On the defensive line, though leadership is necessary with a rookie like Ziggy Ansah; younger guys like Nick Fairley, Willie Young and Ronnell Lewis; and even a new guy like Jason Jones.

Suh, who is entering his fourth season, should be the answer.

But not so fast.

"You know how Suh is, Suh is a quiet guy,'' Tulloch said when asked about Suh's leadership potential.

"I'll tell you one thing, he's very dominant. I can't get mad at him. He can be as quiet as he wants, he's a dominant player, one of the most dominant defensive tackles I've been around,'' Tulloch said. "He doesn't say much, a very business-like person, but as a player he's definitely well respected. He comes to work every day and works hard.''

During the first five weeks of offseason workouts that started in mid-April -- mostly lifting and running -- Suh was not around. Tulloch said they had a 98 percent attendance rate which is the most he's seen in the NFL. No Suh, though. He has been at the OTAs this week which are officially voluntary but an absence without explanation should not be acceptable.

Leaders show up. However, Suh's absence during the first five weeks does not bother coach Jim Schwartz.

"Well, I think the important thing is when we're on the field doing this stuff, he's been here now,'' Schwartz said. "He came in in great shape. A lot of guys choose to train other places, a lot of guys have other things that they're going to do and that's the nature of this business. I mean, this isn't a mandatory offseason.

"I think the important thing is when he came here, he was in great shape, which he always is. That said a lot also. He was able to work on his own, but he was able to come here in great shape and we're our doing the first couple OTAs and he's right here with everybody else,'' the coach added.

Suh did not speak to the media on Wednesday, the only OTA session open to reporters this week.

Schwartz sees Suh as an emerging leader on the defensive line.

"I mean I think particularly a guy like Ndamukong Suh (is ready to be a leader), that's something he's embraced,'' Schwartz said. "He's been working very hard and he's sort of been, I don't want to say waiting for that opportunity, but when he came in as a rookie, he came in to a group that had a lot of veteran players like you mentioned, guys like Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch and even Cliff Avril was a young veteran, guys that had a lot of experience in the league and he did a good job learning behind those guys.''

It was an ideal situation for Suh to come in as the second overall pick in the draft. He just had to be concerned about his game. His reputation as a nasty player, along with his fines and suspension, does not prevent him from becoming a leader.

As the top overall pick and the quarterback, Matthew Stafford was expected to be a leader from the get-go. He was and continues to grow into that role. There's no question that Stafford is the leader on offense. It's his team.

It's been a different situation for Suh.

"Now that he's a young veteran, it's time for him and a lot of other guys to start showing that leadership and that comes from this time of year, comes from training camp, it comes from the regular season,'' Schwartz said. "Yeah, it's time for guys like that to step up into some of those roles.''

Yes, it's definitely time.

Stats and sacks matter, but it's a team game.

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her book, "100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die'' here. It's also available at bookstores.)